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'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.' - author Jackie French

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Review: Geek Girl

Harriet Manners is an accident-prone geek. She thinks in statistics, hates shopping, and at 14-years-old still hides under furniture whenever she wants to disappear. She is an only child with a stepmother who is a lawyer and a father who is big in advertising, but it is hard to gauge as to who is the parent, and who the child.

Her best friend Nat has wanted to be a model all her life and has worked hard on her image with that end in sight. Toby is geeky as well. His hiding place in the bushes near Harriet’s house has been known to her forever, so have his stalking habits.Alexa is Harriet’s nemesis. She subjects Harriet to ‘ritual humiliation’ causing Harriet to hate her life. But it’s because Harriet is smart and sassy; a girl who stands out and is different to everyone else, that Alexa is always trying to diminish her.

Friendships and loyalties are tested when Harriet accompanies Nat to a fashion show with the hope of Nat being spotted by Infinity Models, a famous modelling agency. When Harriet is chosen instead, an incredible opportunity presents itself for her to escape a life she hates and become someone else without considering the cost.

This is an outstanding debut novel by a fresh new voice who addresses current problems facing young people, mainly feeling out of place in a pretentious world, and the ugliness of bullying. It is clever, full of humour and deeply moving. Romance is interwoven in the well-crafted storyline with entertaining bohemian characters in the cast. Geek Girl shouts that people should be who they are, have self belief, and feel comfortable with being different.